The present invention relates to a scenario display method, apparatus and computer program. More particularly, the present invention relates to a scenario display method, apparatus and computer program for providing information concerning the relationship between the scenes of the scenario.
A business process, for example, has a sequential flow of images which are formed into units called scenes. There has been proposed a method and apparatus for displaying a scene on a display. A scenario includes a series of scenes. When business specifications of a flow of a business process are described using diagrams, it is easy to understand a business process while it is being developed. These diagrams are visually displayed. A method of supporting a system design and development of a business process using a display has been proposed.
There has been proposed a development support method of representing a sequential flow of a business process by displaying a scenario having a series of scenes. When displaying business specifications on a display, work that is executed where an actor (operation chief) accesses a resource (information resources) can be represented. Thus, in the scenario the actor accesses information of a current scene that is stored in a storage (resource). Care must be taken so that the resource is properly accessed since the information in the resource can be affected by accesses that occur before and after the current scene. Thus, the information of a resource in a current scene may be dependent on actions performed on the resource before and after the current scene. Such information is not displayed to the operator of the display apparatus so that the business process and how is influenced can be easily understood.
Various conventional techniques for displaying scenarios have been proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,253. However, none of these conventional techniques provide for the display of-dependent or relation information.
The present invention provides a method, apparatus and computer program for indicating in a current scene of a scenario including a plurality of scenes information indicating dependence relation between resources in the current scene and actions performed by actors on the resource in scenes that occur before and after the current scene.
A resource can be, for example, a slip, display screen information, a file, storage etc. Actions performed on the resource by an actor can be, for example, by a human who accesses a resource and executes specified work and processing, a computer, a computer program, etc. The actions performed on the resource by the actor can be, for example, one of reference (e.g., reading analyzing or renewal (e.g., writing, modifying). A scene, included as one of a plurality of scenes of a scenario, displays an action according to a sequential flow of a business process. The scene includes information of an action, an actor and a resource.
The present invention provides a scenario display method, apparatus and computer program for displaying in a current scene, included as one of a plurality of sequential scenes of a scenario, information indicating relations between the current scene and scenes occurring before and after the current scene. In the present invention, relation information is stored indicating relations between actors, resources and actions performed by the actors on the resources with respect to the plurality of scenes of the scenario. Information of a current scene including actors, resources and actions performed by the actors on the resources is displayed. Thereafter, a retrieval operation is performed to retrieve information indicating relations between the resources of the current scene and actions performed on the resources of the current scene by actors in scenes occurring before and after the current scene. The retrieved information, indicating relations between the resources of the current scene and actions performed on the resources of the current scene by actors in scenes occurring before and after the current scene, is displayed in the current scene.